Apparatus for uniting metals.



A. K. SLOAN. I APPARATUS FOR uNmNG METALS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.5.19I3.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

/A/I/EA/ro/ A Kellogg Sloan :f f Y 770mm/ AUGUSTUS KELLOGG SLOAN, 0FBROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS Fon UNITING METALS.

Specification of Letters Patent. l Patented Aug,l *7, 191i?,

Application fneainecember 5,1913.' seriainasoasso.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS KELLOGG SLOAN, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Uniting Metals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and use thesame.

The invention relates to an apparatus for uniting metals andincidentally to the method employed inv welding, brazing or solderingtogether two disconnected pieces of metal. l

As illustrated and described herein, the invention is applied to aparticular eld,

-namely that of welding wire into continuous lengths.V

The object of the invention is to provide for the welding of metal byigniting a 'compound surrounding the adjacent ends of the metal andproducing an intense local heat sufficient to reduce and unite themetals.

A further object is to provide a simple form of device into which theends of the metal to be joined may be conveniently inserted and whichwill act as an inclosing envelop to provide a local field of intenseheat for reducing and joining the twopieces of metal forming a oint ofhomogeneous matei v rialof low resistance; and astill further object istoprovide for automatically and immediately insulating a union so made.

A still further object is to provide for uniting metals by igniting acompound surrounding and inclosing the adjacent ends of the metaleitherl by the direct application of an igniting heat or by an electricarc.

In the accompanying drawings, the apparatus is described in conjunctionwith the making of joints in an electric wiring system. Thisillustration exemplifies an important use to which the invention mightbe adapted and serves as a convenient means of illustration.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustratingthe apparatus "as used for simultaneously welding wire connectionsthroughout a wiring system of electrical transmission. Y Y Y Fig. 2 lisa detail sectional view on enlarged scale of'what may be termed awelding cartridge. A

Fig. 3 is an end view of'thevsame. 4

Fig. `4 -is a central cross-sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2 illustrating thevwires with their insulation` introduced into the cartridge. Y

In welding, brazing, soldering or otherwise joining two pieces of metal,it has of course been necessary to utilize gases" under extremepressure, torches `or other open flame apparatus, fori heating the partsto `be joined and ordinarily in a `welding' operation, a iiux must beemployed.

Even in the simplest case,.that of using l' solder, asimilar operationmust be performedV and in any of these well-known practices, theYoperator must be subject to all the dangers of explosion Land liabilityof burns. Y y z In modern wiring systems, particularly for buildingconstruction, there are definite and iron-clad rules requiring theforming of unions with solder anda great amount of time is consumedintwisting wires together, soldering and insulating them and thisyordinarily must be done at each particular joint as the wires andelectrical apparatus are installed, inasmuch as the joints. must beinsulated. This requires not only great care and attention, but resultsat best in a soldered joint of somewhat uncertain character.

Each joint in vsuch a wiring Vsystem mustl bemade with lthe expenditureof considerable time and often under difliculties where the. joints arein inaccessible places and making of these joints often resultsin thekinkingjand bending of the wires of theY system.` Furthermore, eachjoint ymust, be thoroughly insulated byV any of the wellknown methods ofapplying tape orcompound to cover the conductorsiwhich have been baredfor the purpose of forming the joint andV soldering it'.y There is alsothe danger and inconvenience attendant upon the use of torches forheating.

One. application of the ymethod and apparatus for uniting metals, whichis specifically described herein as illustrative 'of the efficiency ofthe` invention, obviates the many j faults heretofore enumerated andshows a simple apparatus intov which the ends of the wires to be joinedmay be inserted-' The device forms an inclosure for the adjacent ends.of the wires and as many j oints' as desired maybe made in the system.When the entire wiring system is installed with the welding cartridges'hereinafter described, covering each of the joints, the application ofan electric current to the wires will cause an ignition spark at thejoints to be formed and immediately compounds surrounding the saidjoints will be ignited. This compound, when ignited, will produce anintense heat V,which is sufficient to reduce and weld the wirestogether. If desired, in lieu of using an electric spark for ignitingthe charge of the welding cartridge, a .powder fuse 14, such ashereinafter referred to, may be employed but, of course, where suchfuses are used, the charge of each cartridge must be ignited separately.In lieu of the jump spark igniter, each welding cartridge may contain afusible wire which burns when the power is applied (for regular service)thus igniting the contents of the cartridge.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a diagrammatic outlineof a wiring system where the main line wires l, 2 and branch wires 3, 4are illustrated as having welding cartridges A applied at various pointswhere it is desired to connect two sections of the wire together. Dindicates a generator preferably of the magneto type which may beconveniently applied to the main Vwires of the circuits and which willprovide a sufficient current for causing a slight arc at each of thejoints which will be suflicient to ignite the charge within the weldingcartridges.

In Figs. 2 to 5 of the drawing, the welding cartridge is shown in detailand comprises essentially a central mass of heatproducing compound 5into which the wires 6, 7 are introduced. The compound k5 is preferably,inclosed in a container which consists of a shell 8 of any desired formand material, preferably having an interlining 9 of insulating material.This insulating material is of a character having a high melting pointthough being subject to solidiiication very rapidly after being reducedto a semi-liquid state by heat.

Where it is not desired to Vinsulate the joint to be formed, theinsulating material 9 may be dispensed with, but the drawings illustratethe welding cartridge in a form applicable to welding electric wires.

Centrally arranged in the container is a web or fuse l0 preferably of acombustible material though it is essential that it be a good electricalinsulator in the event the cartridges are ignited by a jump spark. A

` Each end ofthe container has a temporary closure 11, 12 ,of suitablematerial which may be readily perforated for theintroduction of the wireand there is preferably arranged between the mass of compound 5 and theheads 11 and 12 a packing 13 which will act as a gas absorbent and ispreferably ofa carbonaceous nature. Lampblack or finely divided carbonmay be utilized. This packing is not an absolute essential of the devicebut proves eflicient in absorbing gases generated by the chemicalcompound 5 and acts as a seal to prevent oXidiZation of the materials ofthe compound.

The compound 5 is not described in detail herein as this forms thesubject-matter of a separate application. n It is sui'licient herein tostate that said compound is of a chemical character, said chemicalsbeing mixed with copper where the cartridge is to be used for weldingcopper wires.

0bviously, other metals may be employed depending upon the character ofjoint which it is desired to form between the two ends of thewire anddepending upon whether a welded, brazed or soldered joint is desired. Asapplied to the copper wires of electric circuit as described herein,there is a considerable content of copper lin the mass 5, or aconsiderable content of iron when applied to steel and iron wires.

The web or fuse 10 which is preferably centrally arranged with referenceto the container provides for the required gap between the ends of thewires 6, 7 and prevents forcing the wires beyond each other or intocontact with each other. It also serves as a guide to the operator toinsure the proper spacing of the wires so that an arc will be formedbetween them when a current is passed over the wiring system. Asillustrated in F ig. 2, the insulation is cut away from the wires 6, 7and only the wires are introduced into the cartridge.

In Fig. 5 the device is illustrated as being used in conjunction withwires where the insulation has not been carefully removed for a definitedistance as it has been in the case of Fig. 2.

In F ig. 5 the ends of the wire are bared so that they may abut againstthe central web or fuse 10a and the insulation is left about the wireand is forced into the cartridge and into the massfof vcombustibleheat-producing material 5. It has been found that certain characters ofinsulating wire employing tarry substances act immediately as a gasabsorbent and therefore there is no objection whatever to their beingintroduced into the mass of chemical material 5.

As illustrated in the drawings, a powder fuse connection 14 maybeemployed for igniting the charge of material 5, it, of course, beingunderstood that this fuse may be used in lieu of an electric sparkbetween the adjacent ends of the conductingwires 6 and 7. lWhere thisfuse is employed, of course, the application is local. Where theelectric spark or the metallic fuse is employed, the current passingthrough the entire system will cause a sufficient spark at the adjacentends of the wires in each cartridge to simultaneously lire the chargesof all of the cartridges and this latter manner of firing the cartridgesis preferred in wiring systems.

Of course, it is to be understood that the compound 5 when ignitedproduces an intense heat and a sufficient heat to thoroughly reduce thecopper or metal Vcontained in the compound as well as the adjacent endsof the wires 6 and 7 so that said wires will be positively united andinasmuch as the heat anneals the ends of the wires and forms a globuleof metal at their adjacent ends, an electrical joint or union isprovided which has a lower resistance and higher capacity than any othersection of the conductors. It is therefore obvious that instead ofhaving joints of high resistance as in the case of poorly solderedjoints, the connections of the wires will be of appreciably lowerresistance and are definitely congealed into a homogeneous mass ofmetal. Joints so made are not subjected during life to the destroyingchemical effect of remaining traces of soldering acid or paste. Theyprovide a perfect union of the metals so tha-t there is in effect nojoint or connection.

As the heat-producing mass 5 is ignited, the generated heat reduces thecontainer or the insulating material forming a part thereof and this, assoon as the compound is consumed, congeals about the joint which hasbeen formed between the ends of the wires. Thus, by a simple operation,all of the joints of a circuit or circuits may be simultaneously formedand insulated. The

advantages for a wiring system are obvious.l It is, of course, to beunderstood that the exact form of cartridge illustrated and describedherein is not essential to the invention but shows an applicable formfor uniting wires of an electrical wiring system. Naturally, theinvention may be applied in any desired manner, and provides thenecessary mechanical or tensile strength essential to pole lineconstruction.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

l. A devicefor uniting metals consisting of a container having perforateends through which two metallic members to be joined may be inserted andbrought into close juXta-position, a charge of material arrangedtherein, said material capable of producing an intense heat when ignitedand a fuse for igniting, said material.

2. A cartridge for uniting metals comprising a container, a charge ofheat-producing materialv arranged therein and having a capacity forproducing an intense heat and a non-conducting web arranged in thecontainer and against which the metals to be Y joined may impinge.

v 3. A cartridge for welding copper wires which consists of a containerhaving perforate heads through which the vwires may be passed atopposite ends of the container, said container inclosing a compoundhaving a capacity`- of producing intense heat, a central web for spacingthe inserted wires whereby an arc will 'be formed between the wires uponthe passage of a current of electricity over the wires and a gasabsorbent intermediate the compound and perforate heads forming a sealfor the compound.y

4. A cartridge for welding copper wires Comprising a container having aninterior lining of insulating material, a compound arranged in saidcontainer, said container and contained compound adapted to receive fromopposite endsthe wires or metallic parts to be welded, which vparts maybe forced into said container and its contents and broughtl into closejuxtaposition with each other, said compound having a content of copperand being capable of producing an intense heat I upon being ignited andmeans for'igniting said compound.

l5. A plurality of cartridges for welding broken copper wires comprisingcontainers provided with a charge of material arranged R. G. FORD,GEORGE L. MOORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioneriof Patents. Washington, D. C. j

